Traditions of the Thompson River Indians (cont.)
Then he heard the sound of whistling,162 which he thought came from some of the people. He went in the direction of the sound, but the next time it came from another quarter. Thus it came from every direction, sometimes sounding as if close to him, and sometimes far away. At last the boy grew weary of following the sound, and, as he could not see any one, he retraced his steps. On arriving at the village, he felt hungry, and searched through all the empty houses for something to eat, but could not find anything excepting in the houses of the Raven and the Crow, where he discovered a few strings of dried fish. These he took to his own house and began to eat them. While eating, he saw move a basket, which was turned upside-down. It was half hidden in one corner. He went up to it and kicked it over, when to his surprise he found underneath his old grandmother. She was unable to travel, and had been left behind. Being very angry, he kicked and struck the old woman, who said to him, "Do not treat me so, my child. I may be of service to you." She had a piece of cedarbark, which she had lighted at the fire before it had gone out. She told the boy to gather firewood, which he did, and soon they had a good fire. The old woman then showed the boy how to make a small bow and arrows.
After he had finished making these, she told him to shoot mice, which were plentiful. Thus for a time they lived on mice, while the old woman made the skins into a large blanket. The boy then began to shoot larger game in the shape of Blue Jays and Magpies, the skins of which the old woman also made into two blankets, also the skins of another variety163 of birds, of which the boy shot many. One day he had his four blankets spread outside on the ground, when the Sun, who was on his daily round, saw them. Admiring them greatly, he came to see whom they belonged to. (At that time the Sun, when travelling, always went naked, for he only used robes when he slept in his house at night.) Finding the owner, he offered to purchase them. The boy sold them, receiving in return many fine presents. The Sun wrapped them around his body, and soon disappeared out of sight; but the colors of the four blankets may still be seen in the Sun at the present day, especially the blue tint of the Blue Jay blanket. After this the boy became a mighty hunter. He filled the cellars of the Crow and the Raven with deer fat, because they had been kind to him by leaving a few fish-skins. The cellars of the other partly.164 Thus being thrown on his own resources made a man of him.VIII. THE STORY OF THE MAN WHO TRAVELLED TO THE
SUN.[Nkamtci'nemux and Nlak’apamux'o'e]
The land at one time was troubled by the Sun, who killed many people.165 At that time the country was hotter than it is now, for the Sun lived near the earth; but afterwards he moved farther away, and later on farther still. He was a man and a cannibal, killing people on his travels every day. He always traveled from east to west, every night returning tired to his house. He hung up the people whom he had killed during his day's travel when he reached home, taking down the bodies of those whom he had hung up the night before and eating them. He had a son166 who always stayed at home, and was clad in fine garments of many colors.
Now there was an Indian belonging to Lytton who was an unlucky gambler and had lost his all. He was sorrowful because of his bad luck, so he went to a lonely part of the mountains to sweatbathe and to converse with his protecting spirit167 Then he dreamt that good luck was in store for him if he would travel. Therefore he traveled, and after many days came to a cliff overlooking a great lake. He saw a great cloud, which seemed to span the lake. Its end touched the shore, and was moving up and down like fog. When the cloud rose towards him, he jumped on it and walked across. At last he reached a pleasant country, and, on striking a trail, in a short time came to a house. Here he found the Sun's son, who treated him kindly, and set before him the best of food. After telling him whence he had come, the Sun's son said, "I am glad that you came, because I am very lonely, and I should willingly have you to stay, but my father is the Sun. He is a cannibal, and will eat you if he finds you." The Indian said he would like to stay two days if possible. The Sun's son hid him under a heap of robes, leaving only breathing room for his face, and then he himself lay down with his head resting on the heap of robes. When his father arrived in the evening, he was carrying a man on his back. As he came near the house, he said, "Mum, mum, mum! There must be a man here." But his son assured him to the contrary, and made fun of him, saying, "How could a man come here?" The Sun entered, hung up his victim's body, and, taking down the body of a man he had killed the day before, began to eat his supper. After supper the Sun, who apparently felt very tired, immediately went to sleep. Next morning he went on his daily travels as usual. The Indian then told the Sun's son that he would go home, as he did not care to stay another night. His friend gave him a bundle, telling him to put it on his back, and not to look at it until he reached home; and if his packing line should stretch, and the bundle should slip down his back, he should not try to arrange it, but leave it as it was until he reached home. The Indian left, going back the same way he had come.
